NFC South Draft Review

The NFL Draft is now several days past, and fans have had a chance to discuss (read: rant about) their own team’s picks. The thing about football is that each team has to actually play other teams in actual games; 17 of them, to be exact. With that in mind, let’s take a look around the rest of the NFC South and break down some of the new faces the Carolina Panthers will be playing against for a third of their season.

Atlanta Falcons

The NFC South’s first round draft order (aside from the Panthers) went in alphabetical order, oddly enough. The Atlanta Falcons were the first NFC South team to pick, and most pundits expected either a defensive player, an offensive skill player, or a trade. Instead, the Falcons used the eighth overall pick on Michael Penix, the former Washington quarterback. This move has many scratching their heads considering the Falcons guaranteed Kirk Cousins over $100 million just a couple months ago. With the aging Cousins coming off an Achilles tear, we may see Penix sooner than later.

The Falcons used Day Two of the Draft to address what everyone expected them to in the first round: defense. More specifically, they addressed their defensive line, taking Clemson DL Ruke Orhorhoro in the second round and Washington EDGE Bralen Trice in the third. Orhorhoro provides some positional flexibility on the defensive line, and both players provide a little pass rush help. Both players saw decent production while playing for good teams, so both could provide some quality snaps right off the bat.

The final day of the Draft saw the Falcons make five total picks: three on defense and two on offense. The defensive players taken were Oregon DL Brandon Dorlus (4th round), Notre Dame LB JD Bertrand (5th round), and Geogria DT Zion Logue with their final selection of the Draft (6th round, pick 197). The Falcons have had issues with their defensive front seven for a while, so they invested heavily in that area, mainly focusing on the defensive line. The two offensive players they took on Saturday were Alabama RB Jase McClellan (6th round) and Illinois WR Casey Washington (6th round). Since the Falcons have Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier already on the roster, I can’t imagine McClellan sees too much playing time unless injuries pop up. Washington is a big-bodied receiver, but will also likely be buried on the depth chart behind more talented (and higher paid) receivers.

New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints ended up drafting seven total players despite drafting none in the third or fourth rounds. With the 14th overall pick, they selected OT Taliese Fuaga from Oregon State. With Ryan Ramczyk’s status being uncertain at best, the Saints made the smart play there. Fuaga will likely start somewhere on the offensive line, be it guard or tackle, depending on Ramczyk’s availability. Many pundits believe Fuaga could grow into a fantastic tackle or move inside and be a dynamite guard if he doesn’t stick on the outside.

The Saints only had one Day Two pick, and it was pretty early on. They used the 41st overall selection on Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry. I hate that the Saints landed such a skilled and seasoned player, but I’m more upset that they landed one of the best names in the Draft. McKinstry was at Alabama forever, and will likely find his way to the field for a majority of the defensive snaps. I’m not sure how the Saints might use him, but he has the talent and versatility to play multiple positions in the defensive backfield.

Day 3 saw the Saints take five total players, starting with South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler in the fifth round. Rattler has all the tools in the world but has been unable to put it all together consistently. Derek Carr is the starter for now, but if he continues to play too conservatively the Saints might turn to the very non-risk-averse Rattler. Overall, I’d be surprised to see Rattler this season barring an injury to Carr. The Saints also took Pitt WR Bub Means and Texas RB Jaylan Ford in the fifth round. Northern Iowa DT Khristian Boyd was taken in the sixth, while seventh rounder and former Eastern Kentucky OT Josiah Ezirim rounded out the draft class. Means and Ford are the most likely to see the field out of all the Day 3 picks the Saints made, especially with the age and inconsistent availability of Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Unfortunately for the rest of the division, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers might have had the best draft in the NFC South. They started off by taking Duke OL Graham Barton 26th overall. A lot of Panthers fans were hoping Barton might fall to the top of the second round, but alas. Barton has a ton of positional versatility and starting experience. He will likely slot in as the starting center, but could also slide to guard depending on how the rest of the line plays out in Tampa.

Day 2 of the Draft had the Bucs taking three total players. The first was Alabama EDGE Chris Braswell in the second round, followed by Georgia S Tykee Smith and Washington WR Jalen McMillan in the third. All three players could have gone higher and often did in certain mock drafts. Braswell and Smith played against SEC competition, so their transition to the NFL game should be a little easier. McMillan, a speedy slot machine, was one member of the Washington three-headed monster at receiver along with Odunze and Polk. All three will likely see plenty of playing time for rookies, especially at those positions.

The Bucs only had three selections on Day 3 of the Draft. In the fourth round, they took Oregon RB Bucky Irving. Irving could absolutely see some playing time his rookie year, especially considering the health risks of playing the running back position. There are bound to be some at least minor injuries to the other backs on the roster, allowing Irving to get on the field. The Bucs’ next pick was in the sixth round, and they used that pick on UTEP OG Elijah Klein. They finished off their draft by drafting Washington TE Devin Culp.